Batting

EMMITSBURG, Md. - Senior Ben
Farina (Waterford, Conn.) became the seventh player in
Quinnipiac history to record 200-career hits as the Quinnipiac
University baseball team swept its first doubleheader of the
weekend at Mount St. Mary's on Friday, March 25. The Bobcats won,
7-4, in its first contest and posted a 4-1 victory against the
Mount in game two.

In the first outing, Quinnipiac was led by Mickey
Amanti (Waterford, Conn.), Farina and Kyle
Nisson (Wallingford, Conn.), who each contributed two hits
against the Mount. In addition, Farina drove in a team-high three
runs. Kyle
Birdsall (Orange, Conn.) won his second game of the 2011 season
as he pitched six innings for the Bobcats. Birdsall held the Mount
to four runs on six hits. Quinnipiac's Andrew
Rinaldi (East Rockaway, N.Y.) struck out three batters and
didn't allow a hit across three scoreless innings to pick up his
second save of the year.

The Bobcats scored a run in the top of the first inning. Amanti
led off with a double to center field. Farina reached first on an
error by the Mount's third baseman, followed by Chris
Migani (Orange, Conn.), who reached on a fielder's choice. Joe
Poletsky (Riverside, Conn.) hit a SAC fly, allowing Amanti to
put the Bobcats on the scoreboard, 1-0.

Both teams went on to score four runs in the fourth inning. Mike
Bartlett (Milford, Conn.) and Nisson both singled to start off
the fourth. Zak
Palmer (Mahwah, N.J.) and Gabe Guarino (Milford, Conn.) each
walked, loading the bases and allowing Bartlett to score the first
run of the inning. After Mike
Blumenthal (Dix Hills, N.Y.) reached on a fielder's choice,
Amanti singled through the left side, driving in Palmer.
Quinnipiac's next two runs were scored by Blumenthal and Guerino on
a Farina single to left field.

Quinnipiac increased their lead by three runs, 7-4, after scoring
two runs in the top of the sixth. Farina hit his
200th-career hit on a single to the pitcher, which drove
in Guerino. The Bobcats' final run was scored by Blumenthal on a
fielder's choice.

Derek
Lamacchia (Whitestone, N.Y.) recorded his third win of the year
as the Bobcats defeated the Mount, 4-1, in the second game of the
day. Lamacchia pitched a complete game, only allowing one run and
four hits. He also struck out four Mount St. Mary's batters.

Poletsky, the Bobcats' third baseman, led the team as he went 3-4
with a run scored in game two, while Bartlett drove in two of
Quinnipiac's four runs.

Quinnipiac scored its first two games in the top of the fourth
inning. After Migani led off with a walk, he advanced to third on a
Poletsky single down the left-field line. Migani went on to score
the game's first run as Bartlett singled to right field. The
Bobcats held a two-run advantage when Nisson hit a SAC fly to drive
in Poletsky. The score read 2-1 entering the fifth inning, as Mount
St. Mary's scored a run in the bottom of the fourth.

Quinnipiac's Blumenthal tripled to center field to lead off the
fifth inning. He then scored on a Migani double down the left field
line with two outs. The Bobcats also added an insurance run in the
top of the seventh when Bartlett drove in Amanti on a single to
center field.

The Bobcats return to action when they play in another doubleheader
against Mount St. Mary's on Saturday, March 26 starting at noon.